Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic sent clear Chris Conn-Clarke transfer message | OneFootball

Altrincham director Rob Esteva has revealed that Chris Conn-Clarke will not be sold below his valuation amid interest from Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic.

The National League side came within touching distance of reaching the Football League, but they now face a battle to keep hold of one of their best talents as teams from the EFL circle.

One of the teams interested is Portsmouth, and they are preparing for life back in the Championship after a sustained period away in League One and League Two.

It is expected that the South Coast side will be busy this summer, as John Mousinho looks to make a good go of the second tier.

Meanwhile, Wigan are also interested in the player, but they are in different circumstances than Pompey, as they are preparing for another season in League One after a campaign where it was about getting the club back into the right place financially.

Altrincham send Chris Conn-Clarke warning to Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic

Altrincham are said to be bracing themselves for a likely pursuit of Chris Conn-Clarke this summer, after what has been a brilliant campaign for the player.

The 22-year-old finished the season having scored 22 goals and chipped in with six assists in 46 National League games.

The non-league side has no desire to stop the player from playing in the Football League, but they are adamant that he will not be allowed to leave for less than he is worth.

The club’s football director, Rob Esteva, confirmed the club’s stance to Radio Alty, via Messenger Newspapers: “Everyone knows it’s going to be difficult for us to keep Chris, but it has to be right for the club as well as for him.

“We have received a couple of offers already, but they have been turned down. The reality is we won’t let him go if teams don’t meet our valuation, and the offers we have had so far don’t come close.

“It’s not crazy money we’re asking, it’s a realistic assessment of his worth, based on the benchmark of other players and the realisation that Chris has out-performed so many of them.

“It will be incredibly sad if he does go, but we always back ourselves, and I’m confident we will once more have one of the best attacks in the division next season, with or without Chris.”

Portsmouth and Wigan are among the sides interested in Chris Conn-Clarke

As previously stated, Portsmouth are one of the sides interested in signing the non-league midfielder this summer.

It was reported by Football Transfers that, as well as Pompey being interested, clubs such as Ipswich Town, Peterborough United, and Mansfield Town are also keen on the player.

But they are not the only teams interested, as it’s recently been reported by Alan Nixon that Wigan Athletic are also interested in signing Chris Conn-Clarke.

It may be said that Portsmouth and Ipswich hold the advantage in the pursuit as they are playing in higher divisions, but it will likely come down to who is willing to pay the fee that Altrincham wants.

Conn-Clarke finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the National League last season, and he is still under contract at the club until the summer of 2026, after only joining the club in July 2023.

Portsmouth and Wigan will be keen not to overspend on Chris Conn-Clarke

It seems more, and more teams are looking to the National League to try and find hidden gems to improve their teams.

Chris Conn-Clarke seems to be the next big star coming out of that league, having joined the Manchester side to get his football career going.

It was the best decision he made, as he now looks set for a summer move to the EFL. Whichever team buys the midfielder, they will be keen not to overspend, but given Altrincham’s stance, they may have to spend more than they were willing to.

Of course, Altrincham won’t want the player to leave, but they know they cannot compete with these teams; it is just about them getting the right offer that suits them going forward.